Smoke Screen
by CMlvr93
Summary: How will the Fringe team get by without a crucial member of their team? Will the missing team member return? AU. Peter/Olivia. Post Marionette
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is just the prologue to my new story so it is very short. It somewhat follows the show up to about Marionette so it's fairly AU. I haven't been able to watch the new season yet so I'm getting my Fringe fix this way! Leave a review to let me know if I should continue or not! If there's any interest I will try to update at least once a week. I've basically got everything planned out. It's just a matter of getting everything written down now. **

**Unfortunately, I do not own Fringe or anything related to it. If I did it would not be on it's last season!**

Smoke Screen

Prologue

Peter Bishop decided to walk home from his favorite bar. He followed the sidewalk that ran parallel to the familiar street until he suddenly paused in front of a building he knew all too well. The black SUV that was supposed to be neatly parked in front of the building was gone and Peter knew it would be a long time before it returned; if it returned at all. Its owner had taken it and left. Although, if Peter had to define it he would call it more like running away than simply leaving.

As Peter stood there he pulled a single cigarette out of his coat pocket. He hadn't smoked since he was a teenager, but an older man in the bar had given it to him along with some words of wisdom that still clung to Peter's mind. "Take it from someone who's had more than enough experience on this subject." He'd said. "The ones who truly love you will always come back. Just give her some time." Peter lit the cigarette letting the smoke fill his lungs as the same five words ran through his mind over and over. _Just give her some time…_But it did nothing to help his mood. He wanted Olivia to be there with him. He wanted to make things right, but she hadn't given the chance. Olivia Dunham was gone and Peter didn't know when or if he'd see her again. She left without telling anyone other than Broyles. Peter stood outside her apartment building staring at her window, willing her to appear, but of course, she didn't.

He threw the cigarette down and continued his lonely walk home.


	2. Chapter 1: I Breathe In and Breathe Out

**A/N: Here's the first chapter! I've decided to take the chapter names from songs that helped inspire me to write them. It might sound kind of stupid, but I thought it'd be fun. Keep in mind the fact that it's been quite a while since I've watched the episodes that play a part in this story so forgive me if I don't get the facts absolutely right.**

**Thanks to all of you who reviewed the prologue!**

**Once again, I do not own Fringe or Chris Cagle's song 'I Breathe In, I Breathe Out'.**

Smoke Screen

Chapter 1

Breathe In and Breathe Out

"_I breathe in and breathe out. Put one foot in front of the other. Take one day at a time until you find I'm that someone you can't live without, but until then I breathe in and breathe out."_

_-Chris Cagle_

The days dragged on for the entire fringe team without Olivia Dunham. For the first few days everyone was silent, everyone except for Walter. He voiced his opinions loud and clear and urged Peter to at least attempt to make contact with the disappearing blonde. However, Peter knew she wouldn't want to talk to him. Astrid had found a note Olivia had left for her. In it she said she would be gone for a while. She didn't say why or where she had gone. She simply said not to worry and she'd be back, but she didn't say how long she'd be gone. And she clearly stated in the nicest way possible to leave her alone.

Astrid, Walter, and Peter were all at a loss. They just wanted to know where she was. They wanted to know if she was ok and they had no idea what they would do if a big case came up. Olivia was an important part of their team and they knew that without her they wouldn't have even become a team. They needed her.

It was even worse for Peter. He was sure he knew exactly why she had left. He hadn't noticed the differences between his Olivia and the one who took her place. The woman he had started a relationship with wasn't the person he thought she was. He was with the alternate Olivia while the real Olivia was being held captive in the other universe by his father, the alternate Walter. He hated himself for not being able to tell the difference, but he thought she had changed. He thought he had made her happier. He couldn't blame her for being angry when she returned, but he had tried to explain himself. He knew she needed time but, he had no idea how long it would take. He just wanted it to all be over. He wanted to move past it with Olivia. He didn't like being reminded of his time with her alternate any more than she did, but every day without her was another reminder of how badly he had screwed up.

Eventually, Walter quieted down. He realized no one was going to bring Olivia back. He knew he would just have to be patient like Astrid and Peter seemed to be doing. His understanding came as both a shock and a surprise to the younger members of the team.

They all went about their work sullenly and it became a rare occurrence for Peter to strike up a conversation. Astrid knew he was terribly upset so she took it upon herself to keep Walter busy. They ran some of his crazier experiments and she often took him out for one of his favorite snacks. Peter, however, never wanted to join them. He spent his days alone in his corner of the lab or locked away in Olivia's office. Astrid decided it would be best to leave him alone for the time being which was nice because she had no idea what she could do or say to make him feel better.

Peter kept himself busy, though even he would admit the tasks he busied himself with were ones he should have left alone. Each day he only made himself feel worse, more depressed and more angry at the events that had caused his Olivia to leave and at the people who caused them, including himself. He went over every report and anything else he could get his hands on about their alternate selves and the world they lived in. He was determined to find out as much as he could. He wanted to find a way to close the connection between the two universes before they caused any more pain and heartache on his side.

Peter had thought he had despised his true father before he learned of Olivia's kidnapping, but the hatred he felt for him now was immeasurable. He wanted nothing to do with the universe he had been born in or the people who lived in it.

* * *

A week later Broyles showed up at the lab. He found Astrid taking care of Gene while Walter stood by eating a strawberry smoothie, giving the younger agent orders on how to properly care for a cow. Peter was nowhere in sight.

"Astro, you must talk to her while you brush her." Walter informed between slurps of his smoothie. "She really enjoys it. How do you expect to bond with her if you don't carry on conversations with her?"

"Walter," Astrid started, exasperated. "How do you expect me to have a conversation with an animal who can't talk back to me?"

Walter paused taking a large gulp of his smoothie. "Just because she can't talk doesn't mean she can't listen." He said before patting Gene on the head. "Isn't that right, my dear?" He added towards the animal.

Astrid simply shook her head.

"Where's Bishop?" Broyles asked, announcing his presence.

Without hesitation Walter replied "I'm right here!" He looked at Broyles and paused a moment before adding "Oh, you mean Peter! I'll go get him." And he took off for Olivia's office.

Broyles looked to Astrid who gave a faint smile and shrugged.

Walter reappeared with Peter. Astrid took one look at the younger Bishop and could tell he was not handling Olivia's absence well. He looked depressed, like he hadn't slept for days and there was a hint of intense anger in his eyes. She wished there was something she could do to help him. She hoped Olivia would return soon.

Broyles wasted no time with small talk and got straight to the point. "I know Agent Dunham's absence must be hard for all of you, but there is still work to be done. I've assigned a new agent to work with your team until she returns."

* * *

Olivia Dunham was driving. She didn't know where she was going and she wasn't even sure where she was. All she knew was that she had to get away. She had to leave all of the reminders of her alternate self taking over her life. She couldn't stand being in her apartment knowing that the other woman had lived there even if was for a brief amount of time. She could hardly stand to drive her car knowing her alternate had used that too. Most of all she couldn't stand to look at Peter. He was the one thing that deep down she absolutely refused to share with any other woman. He was supposed to be hers. He left his own universe to be with her, but she hadn't made it back with him, her alternate did. In her heart she knew he wasn't to blame, but her head told her he should have noticed the differences.

Olivia didn't know what she was going to do. She just knew she had to get away.


	3. Chapter 2: The Mess I Made

**A/N: I know it's taken me a while to get this chapter done. It was originally going to be longer than this, but I decided to split in half so I could get something up today and still have time to watch the two newest episodes of Fringe. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! **

**Fringe is not mine! Neither is Parachute's song 'The Mess I Made'. **

Smoke Screen

Chapter 2

The Mess I Made

"_I should have kissed you there. I should have held your face. I should have watched those eyes instead of run in place. I should've called you out. I should've said your name. I should've turned around. I should've looked again. But oh, I'm staring at the mess I made. I'm staring at the mess I made as you turn; you take your heart and walk away."_

_-Parachute_

The next morning was dark and dreary. Rain fell at a constant pace, hammering the windshield as Peter Bishop drove himself and his father to the lab. The only sound in the car came from the rain hitting the windows. Walter watched as the drops splattered against the glass before racing each other down the side. The older man attempted to engage his son in conversation, but he got nothing more than one word answers and he considered himself lucky just to get that. Walter had noticed how Peter's face seemed to be stuck in a permanent frown lately. He always looked incredibly sad and exceptionally tired with a hint of intense anger. However, Walter was certain Olivia Dunham would soon return and they could all be happy again. Upon arriving at the lab the elder Bishop exited the car feeling hopeful and optimistic despite the rain. The younger Bishop felt no such emotions. His mood fit perfectly with the weather.

Neither man was ready for what awaited them in lab. They found Astrid showing another woman round, explaining some of Walter's machines. They didn't hear them come in which gave the Bishops a chance to watch, trying to figure out who the strange woman was and what she was doing. She had long dark hair that fell down around her shoulders and contrasted against her light skin. She was just a touch taller than Astrid and wore a light gray pantsuit highlighted by a bright pink blouse. Peter would almost say she was attractive. Almost. His feelings and attractions were permanently held by a certain blonde who he longed to see. Peter was torn from his thoughts by Walter who suddenly elbowed him in the ribs and whispered harshly.

"That strange woman has been investigating my equipment and now she's petting my Gene. Who does she think she is?!" The older man was not happy.

The amount his father cared for the cow they kept in the lab amazed Peter at times and before he could reply Walter announced their presence.

"Asprin, who is this woman and why is she harassing my animal?" Walter asked with an obvious edge to his voice before turning his attention to the woman in question. "Don't think I didn't see you eyeing my red vines as well." He added pointing an incriminating finger at her as he walked over to where his candy sat and picked it up shoving a string of the licorice in his mouth before clutching the rest to his chest protectively.

Astrid shot an apologetic look to the woman before saying "Be nice Walter." She got a childish stubborn look of deviance from the older man in return. "This is the agent filing in for Olivia." Astrid tried to say it with a smile, but after seeing the way both Peter and Walter's faces fell she felt horrible.

"Hi, I'm Jess, Jess Gruening." She ignored Walter and smiled at Peter.

Peter faked a half smile in response and said. "I'm Peter Bishop. This is my father Walter." He gestured towards Walter who still looked extremely unhappy. "Come on Walter." He said, his expression returning to one of sadness. "Let's go get you a snack out of the vending machine." Walter started to set his red vines back on the table, but he paused and glared at Jess before putting them in his pocket and following Peter out the door.

Jess turned to Astrid in confusion. "He's…very protective of his candy." Was all Astrid could think of to say.

* * *

"I don't like her." Walter was protesting loudly all the way to the vending machine. "We don't need her. Olivia will be back soon. We can wait for her. I don't want some random agent in my lab trying to tell me how to do my work."

Peter tried to listen. He knew change was hard on Walter. He knew his father needed him, but he couldn't focus on anything but the thoughts racing through his mind. He hated the thought of working with someone other than Olivia more than he hated simply working without her. He could wake up each morning and hope for even the briefest moment that Olivia would show up at the lab. Each morning he thought about what he would say to her if given the chance. He revised his speech over and over again in his head, but she never came back. She'd been gone for two weeks now and with the addition of a replacement agent he knew Broyles wasn't expecting her to return any time soon. Upon meeting Jess the small glimmer of hope he relied on every day disappeared, but he knew he couldn't take his anger out on her. He knew Olivia's disappearance was his fault. He knew he was simply staring at the mess he had made of everything.

They reached the vending machine at the end of the hall. Walter was in the middle of listing everything wrong with Jess. Peter interrupted him. "We still have to be nice to her, Walter." He handed his father money for the machine. "I don't like this any more than you do, but we can't be mean to her. Do you think you can at least try to be civilized?"

"I guess I can try." Walter replied, unhappily as he punched the buttons on the machine and waited for his snack to fall.

The Bishops spent the rest of the day working quietly. Each man kept to himself on opposite sides of the lab. Neither one said a word to their new coworker the rest of the day.

Astrid spent the day getting to know Jess and showing her how they did things. However, by mid afternoon she noticed the other woman was just barely paying attention. Her eyes were stuck on Peter. Astrid watched as Jess's gaze followed her friend everywhere he went. She hadn't even realized Astrid wasn't talking to her anymore. _This is not going to be good. _Astrid thought. _Not at all. _

"Is he single?" Jess asked, her eyes never leaving the back of Peter's head. She apparently didn't care about the fact that he had not even acknowledged her presence since introducing himself.

Astrid's jaw dropped. She was completely shocked. "He's taken." Her reply came out faster and more forcibly than she intended. She was awestruck. She couldn't begin to understand this woman. She had just joined their team and her first concern was the marital status of her new teammate.

"That's too bad." Jess sighed before turning her attention back to Astrid who hoped she would give up on the subject of Peter. She was the last thing he needed.


	4. Chapter 3: Don't Walk Away

**A/N: Again, sorry it took so long! Classes have been getting the way with papers and exams, but Thanksgiving break is coming up! **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! **

**Peter may be a little OOC in this, but just go with me on it. There is a method to my madness! lol**

**Anyway, here's chapter 3! Let me know what you think. As of now the next chapter will focus on what Olivia's been up to since she left.**

Smoke Screen

Chapter 3

Don't Walk Away

"_I've never been so ashamed. It really felt like you and me were getting better. I hope that you still want me. I hope it's not too late. Don't walk away and leave without a reason when there's too much to say that hasn't been said. I know I was wrong and I'm sorry….Don't walk away."_

_-Sick Puppies_

That night Peter sat alone at a bar while Walter sat at home watching a SpongeBob marathon on TV. He sipped his beer quietly and let his thoughts surround him. He didn't know when Olivia would come back. He didn't know if she would come back and now the delicate balance of their Fringe team had drastically changed with her absence and the addition of a replacement. His sadness and depression were slowly turning into anger and the alcohol didn't help. For the first time since Olivia left Peter was not only angry with himself, but also with her. Deep down he knew she had her reasons and she deserved her space, but he resented the fact that she had left before they got the chance to even try a real relationship. He had told her once, after she got back from the other side, that he had gotten the chance to see what the two of them together looked like and it was beautiful. She walked away without giving him a reason or listening to him.

Peter really did understand most of what she was feeling and some of why she was doing what she was doing. However, his feelings clouded the rational part of his brain. The alternate Olivia had betrayed his trust and used him like their lives were nothing more than a game. A game she wanted to be sure her team won. Now, his Olivia was disappointed, angry, upset and above all else, gone. He could tell his Olivia was hurting, but she wasn't the only one. It was those kinds of feelings that made Peter stay at the bar and order a second drink instead of going home to his father.

Halfway through his new beer Peter noticed the bar stool next to him suddenly became occupied. He decided he wouldn't even look up. He didn't care who it was and he wasn't in the mood to talk.

"Come here often?" Peter recognized the female voice from somewhere. He looked up from his beer and turned to the person next to him. It was Jess. She greeted Peter with a smile.

Peter wasn't happy to see her, but he gave a faint half smile in return before looking back down at his beer as she ordered one for herself.

Jess received her beer and turned her barstool so she could face Peter directly, leaving him no escape from a conversation. He downed more of his drink wishing he had gone home before she showed up.

"Are you waiting for you girlfriend?" She asked with a small smile, the curiosity evident in her voice.

"No." Peter said. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to elaborate. He sighed. "I don't have a girlfriend."

On the outside Jess looked concerned and slightly confused, but inside she was ecstatic. _So he is single. _She thought. However, she did wonder why Astrid had told her he was taken. "Oh, Astrid gave the impression that you did." She said. "I assumed the two of you were together."

Her last comment took Peter by surprise. Did she really think he and Astrid were dating? "It's complicated." He replied before finishing his beer. "And there's nothing between Astrid and I." He got up to leave, but before he could Jess put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Don't go." She said sweetly. "I'm sorry. Let's talk about something else!"

Peter stopped, looking down at the hand on his arm before looking up to Jess' face. She gave him a kind smile and he thought he saw a look of sincerity in her eyes. Although somehow he knew he shouldn't, he sat back down anyway. Jess ordered him another drink. They sat there talking and drinking well into the night.

Soon there were only a handful of people left in the bar besides Peter and Jess. His mind was only slightly fuzzy from the alcohol while she was well on her way to being hammered. He couldn't help but compare her to Olivia who had always been able to keep up with him when it came to alcohol. Jess, on the other hand, had tried to keep up, but she had failed miserably.

Finally, Peter decided he had had enough of her annoying laughter and innocent touches that grew bolder with every drink. At first she had been a welcome distraction, but now she was someone who reminded him exactly how Olivia wasn't.

As much as Peter wanted to simply leave Jess at the bar he knew giving her a ride home was the right thing to do. He pushed away the voice in his head that told him he would have never considered what the 'right thing' to do in a situation was if it hadn't been for Olivia forcing him to change his con man ways.

"Come on." Peter said, standing. "I'll take you home."

"Ok!" Jess replied, cheerfully, hopping up from her barstool.

She was a happy, giggly drunk Peter noted as he started for the door. At least she could walk straight he thought, but as soon as the words formed in his mind she caught up to him, wrapping her arms around his right arm and laid her head on his shoulder. He decided to let it slide, reveling in the small semblance of comfort it gave him.

They exited the bar and Jess let go of Peter to dig through her purse as they walked towards Peter's car, almost falling down in the process. Peter put a hand on her elbow to steady her. She giggled as she regained her balance and immediately resumed her search through her purse until they reached the passenger side of Peter's car.

"What are you looking for?" Peter finally asked, annoyed.

Jess reached into her bag on last time with a frown of concentration. A few seconds later her face lit up with a drunken smile. "I've been looking everywhere for these!" She triumphantly held up a pack of cigarettes. "I don't know how I've made it through this night without on. They didn't even cross my mind until we got outside." Jess laughed again. "You must be a very good distraction." She took a step closer to Peter and pointed a finger at him, a smile still plastered on her face.

"Ok." Peter said, taking a step around her to open the passenger side door of his car. Her not so subtle advances were beginning to make him feel uncomfortable. He just wanted to go home and go to bed. He wasn't in the mood to deal with a drunken Jess. He wished Olivia hadn't left so he wouldn't have to.

Peter started the car and began the drive to Jess' house which, thankfully, she had informed him wasn't far from the bar.

Jess rolled down her window slightly and after a couple failed attempts she managed to light a cigarette. She let out a sigh of contentment as she exhaled her first drag before offering a cigarette to Peter. "Want one?" She asked.

"I'm good." Peter replied, keeping his eyes on the road. Although part of him did want to join her, he knew he shouldn't. He'd given up smoking years ago and he did not want to go through the process of quitting again.

"Oh, come on! One's not gonna hurt you! Have some fun once in a while!" Some of Jess' words were slurred together.

"Fine." Peter mumbled and accepted the cigarette. He did not feel like arguing with her.

The rest of the ride was silent. Peter pulled up in front of a small white house.

"Thanks for the ride!" Jess said enthusiastically before giving Peter a quick kiss on the cheek and running up to the front door.

Peter sat in the driver's seat slightly stunned. Once she disappeared inside the house he finished his cigarette and drove home, wishing it was Olivia who had kissed him.


	5. Chap 4: It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait again. Apparently I'm not capable of updating weekly. Let me know what you think of this chapter. The next one will be back to what's going on with Peter. I think it will jump back and forth from now on. **

**Thanks to amynoemi for reviewing the last chapter! **

Smoke Screen

Chapter 4

It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing

"_And it only hurts when I'm breathing. My heart only breaks when it's beating. My dreams only die when I'm dreaming so I hold my breath to forget."_

_-Shania Twain_

Olivia Dunham wasn't sure how she got there, but she found herself standing on the porch of a small white house. She hesitated before knocking on the door, trying to put a smile on her face. It was a bright, sunny day and the flowers surrounding the porch danced gently in the breeze seemingly mocking Olivia's gloomy mood. Finally, she managed to put what she hoped was a convincing looking smile on her face before knocking on the door. She didn't have to wait long. The door swung open to reveal a young girl whose eyes lit up at the sight of Olivia.

"Aunt Liv!" Ella Dunham exclaimed before running the short distance to Olivia and wrapping her arms around her.

Olivia returned the girls hug. "How are you baby girl?" She asked.

Ella looked up with a huge smile on her face. "I'm perfect now that you're here!" She said. "Come on!" She took Olivia's hand and dragged her into the house.

"Ella, how many times have I told you not to open the door for strangers?" Rachel's exasperated and slightly angry voice carried into the living room from the kitchen. The younger Dunham sister appeared in the doorway.

"Aunt Liv is not a stranger." Ella replied pointedly.

Rachel finally noticed her sister's presence. To say she was surprised would have been an understatement. "Liv, what are you doing here?" She asked while enveloping her sister in a hug.

Olivia held up the small bag of clothes she'd brought with her. "You always wanted me to take a vacation and visit you guys." She managed a small, uncertain smile.

Rachel turned to her daughter. "Why don't you go work on cleaning your room? You don't want Aunt Liv to see how messy it is do you?"

"No I don't!" Ella replied before running down the hallway towards her room.

Olivia could feel Rachel's stare boring into her. "Not that I'm not happy you're here, but what's going on? This isn't like you. You don't just show up here without calling. Is something wrong?" Rachel's voice was heavy with concern and Olivia began to wonder if she shouldn't have come. She was on an emotional rollercoaster and she just needed to get away from everything. She had wanted to spend time with her sister and her niece, two things the alternate Olivia had not touched. They were something only she had. They were unique to her universe.

Olivia sat on the couch and her sister followed suit the worry evident in her eyes. "I just.." The elder sibling started before pausing to hold back the tears that threatened to form in her eyes. "I just needed to get away for a while. We had a really tough case."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rachel asked.

"I can't." Olivia replied quietly.

"Well, you know I'm here if you change your mind."

"It's not that, Rach. It's classified." Olivia desperately wanted to be able to confide in her sister. They had always shared secrets and helped each other through their problems, but now she couldn't without putting her Rachel, Ella, and her job at risk.

Rachel could see a sadness in Olivia's eyes she'd never seen before. Her sister had always been the strong one, but it was obvious that now her strength was faltering. "Oh Liv." She pulled Olivia into another hug before trying to lighten the mood. "So how long will you be here? I know Ella's very excited." She added a small smile to which Olivia returned.

* * *

Olivia spent the rest of the day with her sister and niece trying to forget about the demons in her recent past. Rachel was upbeat. She didn't ask questions or pry into Olivia's reasons for being there. She knew if her sister wanted to talk she would. Ella, of course, was oblivious to the sadness that covered her Aunt and the slight confusion it left with her mother. It wasn't until the next day that things came crashing down around the eldest Dunham once again.

They were eating lunch in Rachel's kitchen when the younger sister's cell phone rang. At first Olivia thought nothing of it, but soon the tone of Rachel's voice and the half of the conversation Olivia could hear intrigued her. Her voice was slightly hushed, but very flirtatious.

Rachel laughed, no _giggled_. Olivia thought. _Since when does Rachel giggle?_

"I suppose I could." Rachel said into the phone. "My sister came to visit. I'm sure she wouldn't mind babysitting." Rachel smiled and laughed at whatever the other person said before turning to Olivia. "What do you think Liv? Up for some alone time with Ella tonight?" She asked.

Ella's eyes lit up. "Oh yes Mommy! Aunt Liv and I will have so much fun!" The girl was bouncing in her seat with excitement. Rachel looked at Olivia expectantly.

"Sure." Olivia said with the largest smile she could muster which wasn't very big. She had no idea what her sister could possibly be making plans for and she didn't know if she'd be able to be the fun filled aunt her niece was used to.

"Great!" Rachel said before turning back to her phone conversation. "Pick me up at 7." She ended the call and put the phone back on the counter before sitting back down at the table to finish her meal all with a slightly lopsided grin on her face.

Between mouthfuls of macaroni and cheese Ella was busy listing all of the things she wanted to do with Olivia that night. Olivia was confused. It seemed as though Rachel was planning to go on a date, but she did not remember her sister telling her anything about seeing someone new and they had always talked about those things. She hoped she wasn't seeing Greg, Ella's father, again.

Olivia's curiosity finally won out. "So what do you have planned for tonight Rach?" She asked casually as they did the dishes and cleared the table.

"Michael's going to take me out." She smiled before seeing the look on her sister's face. "I told you all about him. Don't you remember?"

Olivia was confused. How could she not remember something like that? She'd been hoping Rachel would find a nice guy for a long time. She was sure she'd remember Rachel telling her if she met someone.

"It was about a month or so ago." Rachel continued trying to jog her sister's memory. "I called to tell you about the school play Ella was in and then I told you about Michael."

The truth hit Olivia like a ton of bricks. She was glad Rachel was busy with the dishes the moment realization hit. It knocked the breath out of her lungs, took away any happiness and security she had been feeling, and she could suddenly feel the beginnings of a headache pound against her skull. Rachel hadn't told her about Ella's play or her new boyfriend. She had told the _other_ Olivia. She had thought her alternate had had no contact with her sister or niece. Unfortunately, she was wrong and the feelings of betrayal she was trying to overcome came back with full force.

"I remember now." Olivia lied to Rachel. "He sounded like a nice guy. Have fun tonight."

Rachel smiled at her sister. "Thanks Liv." They finished the dishes and Olivia retreated back to Rachel's spare bedroom until her sister left for her date.


End file.
